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Northeast Colorado residents urged to prepare for winter driving

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Winter weather is moving into northeast Colorado and CDOT wants to remind motorists to be prepared for the driving conditions.

The National Weather Service is calling for temperatures to plummet from the upper 70s the area has experienced so far this week to a high of 42 today. The cool down will be accompanied by a mix of rain and snow until about 4 p.m., with snow likely between 4 and 5 p.m., and more rain/snow mix possible later in the evening. Breezy and blustery conditions are expected through the night.

During a winter storm, CDOT maintenance crews are on standby for round-the-clock patrol shifts. Maintenance area crews are out on 24-hour operation — typically on rotating 12-hour shifts — until they reach dry road conditions. This means that during a storm, at least half the crew members on each patrol are out at any given time, some overlapping their shifts to keep coverage consistent. And, when warranted, avalanche control crews are working together with CAIC forecasters to trigger avalanches before they can run naturally.

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In CDOT Region 4, northeast Colorado has 272 maintenance workers and 184 snow plows. Other plow trucks will carry sand/slicer for providing traction or, at optimum temperatures, sand pre-wetted with liquid deicer for traction and effective ice-melting. Northeast Colorado maintenance crews take care of 4,038 lane-miles (the combined lengths of each lane on every highway in the section), with a total budget of $9,026,944.

The Colorado Department of Transportation has broad authority to close any portion of a state highway to traffic due to a natural disaster, weather conditions, or any other emergency circumstances resulting in making road conditions unsafe for travel by motor vehicles. That authority includes closing a road to traffic if adequate tire chains or snow tires are determined to be necessary.

Avoid a fine! Motorists should be aware the Traction Law (Code 15) and Passenger Vehicle Chain Law (Code 16) could be implemented if conditions r

• Traction Law — Motorists will need snow tires, tires with mud/snow (M/S) designation, or a four-wheel drive vehicle — all tires must have a minimum one-eighth inch tread.

• Passenger Vehicle Chain Law — Every vehicle on the roadway must have chains or an alternative traction device (like AutoSock).

Without proper equipment, you can be fined $130. If your vehicle blocks the roadway, you could be fined more than $650.

Be sure you have good snow tires. How do you know if you need new snow tires? Insert a quarter into the tire tread upside down, with Washington's head going in first; if the top of George's head is covered by the tread, your tires are OK (do this test in multiple points around each tire.) If the top of his head is visible at any point, you need new tires.

Always keep the top half of your gas tank full. It can give you better traction and gives you a bigger margin of error if you get stuck and have to keep the engine running periodically to keep warm.

If you are stuck in a serious storm do not leave your car. Run the engine periodically and wait for help.

Carry blankets, water, a flashlight, a shovel, some nutrition bars or other food for sustenance. Winterize your vehicle's safety kit by including extra blankets, sand to help gain traction in the event you become stuck on ice or snow, jumper cables, an ice scraper and lock deicer.

Remember that 4-wheel drive does not mean 4-wheel stop. A 4-wheel drive vehicle will not stop any better in icy conditions, especially if you have inadequate snow tires.

Drive for the conditions. In poor visibility or even whiteout conditions, don't drive faster than you can see ahead. High speeds in poor or no visibility can lead to large chain reaction accidents.

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